This invention relates to connectors for use with pyrotechnic simulation systems and devices in which an array of pyrotechnic devices are sequentially ignited for selectively producing smoke, flash and/or noise for simulating weapon firing and hits.
Of interest are commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,157,222 (""222) disclosing a pyrotechnic ignition apparatus and 5,138,948 and 4,951,570 disclosing a pyrotechnic device useful with the pyrotechnic ignition apparatus and incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.
Military training involves the use of pyrotechnic simulation systems employing apparatus and devices similar to the apparatus and devices disclosed in the aforementioned patents. In such systems, a laser beam is activated by a fired weapon such as a tank gun and the like. A simulation system may be located at the firing weapon such as a tank for igniting a simulation device instead of an actual ammunition round to simulate the firing of the weapon. The laser beam is directed to a target being fired upon. A receiver at the target senses the received laser beam and ignites a pyrotechnic device associated with the ignition apparatus at the target simulating a hit, a near hit and the like.
The ignition apparatus has a magazine with a plurality of pyrotechnic devices which may be similar to 8 gauge shot gun shells in size. The magazine is associated with an ignition control system. The devices are ignited sequentially by the control system in response to successive firings or hits. All of these pyrotechnic devices are releasably mounted in the magazine so that the magazine can be periodically reloaded.
In some training environments, missiles or other pyrotechnics are used to simulate other conditions than that of the pyrotechnic devices associated with the ignition apparatus. These missiles and other pyrotechnics are not used with the ignition apparatus described above and in the aforementioned ""222 patent. Therefore, to fire the missiles or other pyrotechnics requires separate firing devices and control systems. However, these missiles and pyrotechnics are intended to be used in conjunction with the flash, smoke and noise devices as described in the aforementioned patents. Various training sequences sometimes requires the missiles and other pyrotechnics to be fired within the sequence of the ignition of the pyrotechnic devices employed with the ignition apparatus of the ""222 patent. This requires a manual timing of the ignition of the missile, which timing is difficult.
A need is seen therefore for a way to ignite such missiles automatically in the sequence of the flash, smoke, and noise pyrotechnic rounds fired by the ignition apparatus of the ""222 patent Such missiles are located remotely from the ignition apparatus, for example 100""s of yards to kilometers distance from the ignition apparatus located at a primary target and are typically independent of the ignition apparatus of the type described in the aforementioned patent ""222. The present invention is directed to providing a solution to this problem so that the missile firings are integral with and automatically initiated as part of the ignition of the devices associated with the ignition apparatus.
A pyrotechnic ignition signal transfer connector device according to the present invention is for use with a pyrotechnic ignition apparatus having first and second device ignition terminals. The device comprises a housing having first and second opposing ends and a chamber. Third and fourth electrically conductively isolated terminals are connected to the housing first end, each terminal for respective engagement with a different one of the pyrotechnic ignition apparatus first and second terminals. Fifth and sixth electrically conductively isolated electrical terminals are secured to the housing second end, the fifth terminal being electrically conductively connected to the third terminal and the sixth terminal being electrically conductively connected to the fourth terminals.
In one aspect, the housing is thermoplastic.
In a further aspect, the first end includes a metal cap.
In a further aspect, a cap encloses the housing chamber at the second end.
In a still further aspect, the housing chamber is defined by a side wall and a bottom wall, the device including a cap enclosing the chamber at the housing chamber second end, the cap including a sleeve telescopically received in the chamber, and means for securing the cap to the housing.
In a further aspect, the sleeve overlies the housing at a side wall of the chamber, the means for securing including a fastener attached to the sleeve and housing.
In a still further aspect, the fifth and sixth terminals comprise studs, each stud having a bore for receiving one of a seventh and eighth terminals therein for connection to a remote pyrotechnic device for igniting that remote device with an ignition signal, and a means for attaching a corresponding stud to the housing.
In a further aspect the housing chamber at the second end is enclosed by a cap, the studs each being attached to the cap.
In a further aspect, the housing is tubular with the first end enclosed, the third and fourth terminals passing through the enclosed first end.
A method of making the device according to a further aspect comprises forming a tubular housing of thermoplastic material with at least one opening in the housing first end, forming the third and fourth terminals, attaching a first electrical conductor to the third terminal and a second electrical conductor to the fourth terminal, passing the first and second electrical conductors and a portion of the third and fourth terminals through said housing opening into the chamber, securing the third and fourth terminals to the housing first end, attaching the fifth terminal to first electrical conductor distal the third terminal and the sixth terminal to the second electrical conductor distal the fourth terminal, and then securing the fifth and sixth terminals to the housing second end and enclosing the chamber at the housing second end.
In a further aspect, a pyrotechnic ignition apparatus comprises a magazine; a plurality of devices secured to the magazine; at least one first of said devices for simulating at least one of flash, smoke or noise when ignited, ignition means for receiving the magazine and for selectively igniting the secured devices individually with an associated applied ignition signal; at least one second of said devices including first terminals for receiving said ignition signal and including second terminals distal the first terminals and ohmically connected to the first terminals for transferring the ignition signal to the second terminals.
In a still further aspect, a further device is included and includes third terminals arranged to be remotely positioned relative to said magazine, the further device including conductor means for ohmically connecting the third terminals to the second terminals, the third terminals being arranged to releasably mate with and electrically couple to the second terminals for applying said ignition signal to said further device.
A method of forming an electrical connection device according to a further aspect comprises forming a tubular housing with a chamber and opposing ends, the housing having a bottom wall and an annular side wall, the bottom wall being at one end of the housing and having at least one through opening in communication with the chamber; forming first and second terminals; attaching a first electrical conductor to the first terminal; attaching a second electrical conductor to the second terminal; passing the first and second electrical conductors through the at least one through opening into the chamber; securing the first and second terminals to the housing bottom wall in said at least one opening; forming a cap for enclosing the chamber; attaching third and fourth terminals to the cap, the third and fourth terminals passing through the cap in communication with opposing cap sides, the third and fourth terminals for being ohmically connected to an electrical connector; ohmically coupling the first electrical conductor to the third terminal and ohmically coupling the second electrical conductor to the fourth terminal; and attaching the cap to the housing over the chamber end opposite the bottom wall with the third and fourth terminals in communication with the chamber and ambient atmosphere.
An electrical connector for receiving and transferring an electrical signal applied to first and second terminals according to a further aspect comprises a tubular housing having first and second opposing ends, a bottom wall at the first end and a chamber; third and fourth electrically conductively isolated terminals connected to the housing bottom wall in communication with the chamber, each terminal for respective releasable engagement with a different one of and mating with the first and second terminals for receiving the applied electrical signal; a first conductor connected to the third terminal and located in the chamber and a second conductor connected to the fourth terminal and located in the chamber, a cap enclosing the housing second end; fifth and sixth electrically conductively isolated electrical terminals secured to the cap and passing through the cap, the fifth terminal being electrically conductively connected to the first conductor and the sixth terminal being electrically conductively connected to the second conductor whereby the electrical signal is applied to the fifth and sixth terminals externally the cap.